Is going to the movies still worth it? Tell us. | Opinion
I love going to the movies.
I love going alone or with my friends. I love walking into my local AMC and being greeted by a familiar face as the worker guides me to my theater. I love sitting in a room full of strangers, itching with anticipation for the experience we're about to share. I love watching previews and mentally marking which films I'll be coming back for. I love watching Nicole Kidman, in that iconic pinstripe pantsuit, recount that "indescribable feeling we get when the lights begin to dim" and remind me that "heartbreak feels good" at the movies. Because it does.
And I'm not alone.
Members of Gen Z – born between 1997 and 2012 – are now the most frequent cinemagoers, with 87% saying they have seen at least one film in a cinema in the past 12 months, according to a Fandango survey.
This summer, horror flicks "Obsession" and "Backrooms" are drawing Gen Z audiences and seeing meteoric success. "Obsession" recently achieved another box office milestone, clearing more than $400 million in global ticket sales as of July 16. "Backrooms," an adaptation of director Kane Parsons' viral YouTube short film series, landed the biggest box office opening in A24 history, with $81.4 million. Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated adaptation of "The Odyssey" broke BFI Imax records with $1 million in ticket sales in the first 24 hours back in June.
For many Gen Zers, the movies act as one of the last, and most ubiquitous, "third places" left standing. Having such a communal space is key to fighting America's loneliness epidemic across generations.
With all that being said, movie theaters aren't perfect. Like literally everything else, the price of going to the movies has increased.
In 2016, the average movie ticket was $8.65. Today, a standard evening ticket at AMC costs $13.99, and that's before you factor in fees and premium formats like Dolby, IMAX or 3D, which can run upwards of $50 ("The Odyssey" was shot entirely in IMAX.) Overpriced concessions also dig deeper into our pockets.
Streaming services have changed the way we consume films. Because of the hefty cost of going to the movies, audiences must decide if seeing a certain film is worth footing the bill or waiting until it comes out on streaming.
Do you go to the movies? Tell us below.
So, how do you decide if a movie is worth trekking to the theater or waiting for the streaming release? What are the best films to see in theaters? When was the last time you went to the movies? Did you go alone or with a group of friends? Do you think movies have gotten too expensive? Do you use Letterboxd to log films you've seen? Will you see "The Odyssey" in theaters?
Scroll down to submit your answers, or send us an email at forum@usatoday.com using the subject line "Forum movies" You can also leave us a voicemail at (202) 655-3923. We'll publish a collection of your responses, so we may reach out to you about yours.
Kofi Mframa is a columnist and digital producer for USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is going to the movies still worth it? Tell us. | Opinion
Reporting by Kofi Mframa, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 2:10 PM.